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ARTES.

Oh, save your life, my Lord; let it suffice,

My beauty forc't mine own captivity.

AUREL.

Who did attempt to wrong thee?

PRINCE.

Hear me, Sir.

AUREL.

Oh, my sad soul! was't thou?

ARTES.

Oh, do not stand to speak; one minutes stay

Prevents a second speech for ever.

AUREL.

Make our Guards strong:

My dear Artesia, let us know thy wrongs

And our own dangers.

ARTES.

The prince your brother, with these Brittain Lords,

Have all agreed to take me hence by force

And marry me to him.

PRINCE.

The Devil shall wed thee first:

Thy baseness and thy lust confound and rot thee!

ARTES.

He courted me even now, and in mine ear

Sham'd not to plead his most dishonest love,

And their attempts to seize your sacred person,

Either to shut you up within some prison,

Or, which is worse, I fear, to murther you.

OMNES BRITTAINS.

'Tis all as false as hell.

EDOL.

And as foul as she is.

ARTES.

You know me, Sir?

EDOL.

Yes, Deadly Sin, we know you,

And shall discover all your villainy.

AUREL.

Chester, forbear!

OSTOR.

Their treasons, sir, are plain:

Why are their Souldiers lodg'd so near the Court?

OCTA.

Nay, why came he in arms so suddenly?

EDOL.

You fleering Anticks, do not wake my fury.

OCTA.

Fury!

EDOL.

Ratsbane, do not urge me.

ARTES.

Good sir, keep farther from them.

PRINCE.

O my sick heart!

She is a witch by nature, devil by art.

AUREL.

Bite thine own slanderous tongue; 'tis thou art false.

I have observ'd your passions long ere this.

OSTOR.

Stand on your guard, my Lord, we are your friends,

And all our Force is yours.

EDOL.

To spoil and rob the Kingdom.

AUREL.

Sir, be silent.

EDOL.

Silent! how long? till Doomsday? shall I stand by,

And hear mine Honor blasted with foul Treason,

The State half lost, and your life endanger'd,

Yet be silent?

ARTES.

Yes, my blunt Lord, unless you speak your Treasons.

Sir, let your Guards, as Traitors, seize them all,

And then let tortures and devulsive racks

Force a Confession from them.

EDOL.

Wilde-fire and Brimstone eat thee!

Har me, sir.

AUREL.

Sir, Ile not hear you.

EDOL.

But you shall. Not hear me!

Were the worlds Monarch, Cesar, living, he should hear me.

I tell you, Sir, these serpents have betraid

Your Life and Kingdom: does not every day

Bring tidings of mpre swarms of lowsie slaves,

The offal fugitives of barren Germany,

That land upon our Coasts, and by our neglect

Settle in Norfolk and Northumberland?

OSTOR.

They come as Aids and Safeguards to the King.

OCTA.

Has he not need, when Vortiger's in arms,

and you raise Powers, 'tis thought, to joyn with him?

EDOL.

Peace, you pernicious Rat.

DONO.

Prithee, forbear.

EDOL.

Away! suffer a gilded rascal,

A low-bred despicable creeper, an insulting Toad,

To spit his poison'd venome in my face!

OCTA.

Sir, sir!

EDOL.

Do not reply, you Cur; for, by the Gods,

Tho' the Kings presence guard thee, I shall break all patience,

And, like a Lion rous'd to spoil, shall run

Foul-mouth'd upon thee, and devour thee quick. -

Speak, sir: will you forsake these scorpions,

Or stay till they have stung you to the heart?

AUREL.

Y'are traitors all. This is our wife, our Queen:

Brother Ostorius, troop your Saxons up,

We'l hence to Winchester, (and) raise more powers,

To man with strength the Castle Camilot. -

Go hence, false men, joyn you with Vortiger,

The murderer of our brother Constantine:

We'l hunt both him and you with dreadful vengance.

Since Brittain fails, we' trust to forrain friends,

And guard our person from your traitorous ends.

(Exeunt AUREL., OSTOR., OCTA, ARTES., TOC., OSW.

EDWIN.

He's sure bewitcht.

GLOST.

What counsel now for safety?

DONO.

Onely this, sir: with all the speed we can,

Preserve the person of the King and Kingdom.

CADOR.

Which to effect, 'tis best march hence to Wales,

And set on Vortiger before he joyn

His Forces with the Saxons.

EDWIN.

On, then, with speed for Wales and Vortiger!

That tempest